Prince Charles to attend funeral of Hugh van Cutsem with sons William and Harry

Prince Charles is to attend the funeral of his close friend Hugh van Cutsem on Wednesday 11 September.

The Prince of wales will be supported by sons Prince William and Prince Harry as they join mourners at the service which will take place at Brentwood Cathedral, Brentwood.

Prince Charles will be joined by his sons Prince William and Prince Harry at the funeral of Hugh van Cutsem.

Hugh Van Cutsem, who died last week at the age of 72, was a former officer in the Household Cavalry and confidant of Charles and the two became ‘regular holiday and shooting companions’.

The close friends shared a passion for rural life and conservation since becoming close during their time at Cambridge University.

Hugh and his wife Emilie van Ufford’s son Edward was one of Charles and Diana’s pageboys at their wedding in 1981, and thirty years later the bond with the Van Cutsem’s was once again shown when Hugh and Emilie’s five-year-old daughter Grace was flower girl at Prince William’s wedding to the Duchess of Cambridge in April 2011.

Grace become a talking point after covering her ears when the wedding party graced the balcony of Buckingham Palace. William and Kate were later spotted leaving Clarence House discussing the five-year-old’s reaction to the large crowds in the Mall.

Hugh and his wife have also been neighbours of the Royal Family at the Sandringham estate as the leaseholders of Anmer Hall, which has been tipped to be a country retreat for new parents William and Kate.

Prince Charles’s wife the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge are not expected to attend the funeral.

You have a small factual error in your story. Grace Van Cutsem is the granddaughter of Hugh Van Cutsem and his wife Emilie. She is actually the daughter of his son Hugh and his wife, the former Lady Mary Astor. The Duke of Cambridge is her godfather.

Florence

Dear Julaine, nearly right …., Grace’s parents are Hugh and Rose van Cutsem. Rose is not addressed as Lady.

Julaine

You are right of course. She is the youngest child of a younger son (of a younger son). The confusion came about because she is named for Lady Rose Astor. The press is also guilty of referring to her as Lady in various articles making searches for her by name likely to cause even more confusion.